AN: This is a Leah/OC since I really can't see her with any of the other characters. Enjoy and please R/R.

A bright mist swirled over the lake as Leah Clearwater watched through feline eyes. The night was strangely bright because of the full moon. Since discovering she was not limited to a wolf shape, she'd experimented with many other shapes and discovered the cheetah was a favorite for her. Unfortunately, cheetah's were kind of rare in the Pacific Northwest, so she took the mountain lion form instead. Leah also discovered that the pack hierarchy was only valid while she was a wolf, so she only took that form when necessary. She was still beta to the nauseatingly imprinted Jacob and Seth. Seth's wife was one of Leah's former best friends, Judy Raven, and they were so nauseatingly in love that Leah hd to nobly resist the urge to Seth whenever she visited. This limited visits somewhat. Jacob's monstrous imprint on the little brat Renesme was also maturing. In the past six years, Renesme had grown into a beautiful girl who was the envy of all who saw her. Jake would probably make a play for her in the next month or so, if only to keep her away from her other halfbreed friends.

Leah shook her massive head. Her coat was a bit shaggier then the typical Lion since she hadn't been able to cut her hair in the past few months. It had taken many tries, but Leah had finally discovered girly hairstyle that suited her features and lifestyle. With a little gel and a brush, Leah knew she looked good enough for half the guys at La Push to chase after her. Unfortunately, none of the guys who asked her out appealed to her. Maybe being in the minds of so many men for so long had inured her to their appeal. She knew exactly what they were thinking when they eyed her and smiled.

Suddenly there was movement below, a flicker of darkness against the rocky lake shores. Leah jumped into the air, turning into an eagle as she plummeted downward. She'd been waiting for the outsider to make a move for three days. A month earlier while hunting, the pack had noticed a strange smell and tried to track it. It disappeared into the water and they hadn't been able to pick it up again. It was a strange blend of human and wolf. Jake and Sam had agreed to work together to find its origin and 6 changers had been sent out to investigate. They were only supposed to be one two weeks, but Leah was on the trail and didn't want to return without answers. She'd become a wolf for just enough time to deliver her report and tell Jake she'd come back when she had an answer. Not wanting to chance his denial, she quickly become the mountain lion. Despite her hatred or eating raw and dirty food, she's come to accept it when necessary and the mountain lion was the perfect form to take for this mission.

She kept her eagle eye on the dark spec and swooped down, enjoying the wind and the feeling of exhilaration as she plummeted. The spec grew bigger and became something vaguely animal. When she was just 15 feet above the creature, she circled. It looked like a common enough wolf and as first Leah thought she'd gotten onto the wrong trail. She landed on a nearby tree and became a common house cat. Now she could smell and knew this was the creature she was tracking. Jumping onto the ground, Leah focused on her mountain lion form again and followed the trail. She felt her adrenaline surge as the dark trees flew by. The wolf was almost as fast as Leah, faster then any real wolf Leah had ever seen.

Abruptly it stopped and Leah slowed to a trot, catching it within second. It bared its teeth at her and she instinctively returned the grimace and growled. The thing's tail twitched tensely and the duo began to circle, eyes never leaving the other. The wolf's eyes were the same dark green as the trees surrounding them and his coat was a short, well-groomed beige with some black on his ears, tails, and feet.

Leah stopped moving and morphed into human form. Nudity was no longer an issue for her. Something about nearly 7 years as a shapechanger who sometimes forgot the little things, like tying clothes onto her form, lead to many transformations back into human form with no nearby clothes. The clothes she'd brought with her had disappeared the first day.

The wolf backed away at first and continued to circle Leah. Leah kept her eyes on him the entire time. The wolf shook its head and began approaching Leah. She looked down as he came closer and realized he was bigger than most wolves, although not as big as her brothers.

"Hello," her voice was gravelly from disuse.

The wolf cocked its head to the side and looked her up and down. Leah knew that look and barely resisted the urge to punch the wolf. She morphed back into a lion as the beast seemed unable to communicate. The wolfed tossed his head to the right and took off. Leah followed. It seemed to Leah like they ran for days, the wolf never tiring. The sun was beginning to rise when Leah realized the wolf was slowing and they were entering a small city. Whitefish, Montana. The roads were now lined mailboxes, even though most houses were set back from the road. Leah hadn't realized how far she'd gotten from the res in the past few weeks. Montana, she thought. The wolf continued to slow as the sun rose. When they reached a dilapidated formerly white house with huge hedges instead of a fence around it, the wolf collapsed. He was right beside the wooden deck and Leah could see that there were clothes at the top of the deck, right beside where he was jerking spasmodically.

The wolf began to shiver and Leah approached cautiously. The thing was convulsing and its tongue fell out and eyes opened and bugged out. Leah watched in horror as its coat seemed to split and disintegrate into dust as it touched the ground.

In place of the wolf was a naked man sitting on the ground, grinning at Leah. His hair was so pale as to be invisible and his eyes were a deep, dark blue. It was hard to guess his age. Leah would have said 21 or so if not for her knowledge that many creatures do not age, like her. She looked 25, but was actually much closer to 30 then she liked to think. Remembering her age reminded her of the many things she would never have because of her abilities. Her appreciation of the gift had grown over the years, but she still had regrets. As she continued to watch him, her mind stopped working. Everything was stuck in this one moment as she look in his unremarkable features that now seemed the most sexy and gorgeous one she'd ever seen. In that moment she would have done anything to make his happiness continue and to be around him all the time. Dimly she wondered if this was imprinting or if she only hoped it was.

"You can change now." His voice was lyrical, with some accent Leah could not place. He reached for a pair of jeans, pulling them on and standing up. If Leah had been in human form, her blush would have covered her body. She didn't mind nudity most of the time, but at this moment, she felt shy. She ducked under a bush and morphed, brushing her hands though her hair quickly, jerking through the snarls and tangles and wincing in pain.

"Here, why don't you take this." The voice came from just beyond the bush and Leah jumped at his nearness. He tossed a red sweatshirt at the bush and Leah grabbed it quickly, ignoring the scratches that would soon heal and donning it. It barely reached her thighs, but would cover most of her more embarrassing parts. She scooted from beneath the bush and stood too close to the former wolf. He lurched back slightly and would have fallen if Leah hadn't caught him. Leah was deceptively strong, something that usually bothered her. Most of her traits were so masculine, she worried if she was still a woman. Looking at the man she was clutching in her hands, she knew she was still a woman. She hadn't felt this attracted since Sam. Actually, this feeling was even more intense. She couldn't imagine needing someone more, and she knew noting about him. He could be a serial killer like the bloodsuckers or some other unsavory character. Somehow that didn't matter anymore. She would love him forever. He seemed to be looking at her expectantly. She had to force herself back to the moment and ducked her head.

"Thanks," she paused, "for the sweatshirt I mean."

"No problem." For a moment, Leah was so distracted by the tone of his voice, she had no idea what he'd said. She looked into his eyes and realized she was still holding his arms. She dropped them unceremoniously and backed away a step.

"Who are you?" Leah asked, remembering her assignment.

"I could ask the same. I've never seen someone who changes into so many forms before." The man looked behind her and smiled.

"Dad." Two children yelled as they launched themselves at the man. He continued to smile and hugged them close. The kids didn't seem to notice either adult's state of undress. The duo were twins, about 4 years old to Leah's admittedly inexpert eyes. Since losing her period, she'd spent a great deal of time trying not to think of kids or be around them. The girls had pale blond hair and eyes the exact color of the wolf man's. Leah felt herself tense as they turned their collective attention to her, staring at her russet skin and shiny black hair, their smiles falling.

"Go inside for a minute dears." He continued to smile at them as they silently grabbed each other's hands and hurried back into the house. When they entered the house, he turned again to Leah, his smile falling.

"My name is Nick. It is obvious we both have," he paused, "gifts. Why were you following me?"

Leah paused to consider how much he needed to know. Her first inclination was to tell him nothing, but that was impossible with the intense affection and need she had for him. "I am Leah, part of a shapeshifter pack in Washington. We caught your unfamiliar scent almost a month ago and I've been tracking you ever since."

Nick glanced at his house, then turned his attention back to Leah. "I see." He continued to gaze at Leah, who felt her skin begin to redden. She wondered if she had something on her face. "I cannot tell you who we are without permission."

"I know what that feels like." Leah giggled, then stopped, stunned at herself. She never giggled.

"Would you like to stay in my house for a couple of days while I work this out with the leaders?" Nick held out his hand. Leah took it without thinking. Obviously, this imprinting business would take a lot to get used to.

He led her into the house, his back to her. The house was not really decorated. There was a spotless, if shabby kitchen, a bare hallway where the white walls met the beige carpet, and a sparse living room. The living room contained only a large beat-up, once green sofa and two mismatches easy chairs. There was a coffee table in front of the couch, but nothing else. There were no pictures or knick knacks anywhere to be seen. This felt very transient to Leah, like they weren't planning on being here long.

Nick gestured to the sofa and Leah sat obediently. Okay, she thought, this is worse then a pack.

"Maggie, Reina, come in here so I can introduce you." Nick smiled at her. "Normally I would hesitate, but I think we can trust you." His smile filled Leah's soul and she felt warm and tingly.

The girls rushed into the room, stopping in the same second as they approached Leah. Nick grabbed their hands and drew them forward slowly. He pushed the child on the right forward. "This is Maggie." Maggie smiled and bowed. Leah felt her mouth twitch. These kids were unbearably cute.

"Pleased to meet you Maggie. I am Leah Clearwater." I held out my hand and she took it cautiously.

"Your skin is really hot." She looked up into Leah's eyes curiously.

"Ahem", her father cleared his throat and Maggie dropped Leah's hand and backed away. He pushed the kid on his left forward. "This is Reina."

Reina curtsied and spoke in a more melodic voice then her sister. "I am Reina Marie." She took Leah's hand gracefully and released it a second later, backing up to her father. All three sets of eyes were on Leah's face.

Leah tried to remember what was polite in this circumstance. She hadn't needed to worry about human protocols for many years. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." She said in a rush, her eyes mostly on Nick.

"Thank you." Nick continued to smile as he looked down at the blond heads of his children. "Run along now. I just wanted you to know who she was." Neither kid needed telling twice, they ran back down the hallway, leaving Leah and Nick alone again.

Nick sat on the sofa beside Leah, their thighs touching. Leah was exceedingly aware of that connection as she focused on not jumping him. He was staring down at her with the corners of his lip upturned. "I'm afraid I can't let you leave until I talk to the leaders. They should be here within the hour to get my report."

"Your report of what?" Lead said, ignoring the first part of his statement.

"I was trying to find all vampire traces in the surrounding areas. There were only some faint smells this month, but last month was horrible." He shuddered.

"I understand. Vampires are so cloying." This time Leah shuddered. Somehow, his hand was in hers. His skin felt cool against her constant fever, not cold like a bloodsucker, but cool like a human. He glanced down at the intertwined hands and then looked back into Leah's eyes, silent.